Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: iansoutham on 28 May 2021, 06:05:30

Title: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 28 May 2021, 06:05:30
Blooming typical, just got everything done on the estate, including cleaning the high pressure aircon filler valve and some other niggles, only to have warm air again on the way home yesterday after work.

Got home, checked the aircon pipes, both warm. Removed front grille and whole bottom inch of the condenser is liquid green from the due I put in.

Going to order a condenser today but wondering what easiest way to remove it is on an X20XEV. Don’t really want to disconnect, drain and remove whole radiator as autobox pipes will need disconnecting and that was a pain the last time.

Anyone done this any other ways?
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: grifter on 28 May 2021, 08:14:12
Blooming typical, just got everything done on the estate, including cleaning the high pressure aircon filler valve and some other niggles, only to have warm air again on the way home yesterday after work.

Got home, checked the aircon pipes, both warm. Removed front grille and whole bottom inch of the condenser is liquid green from the due I put in.

Going to order a condenser today but wondering what easiest way to remove it is on an X20XEV. Don’t really want to disconnect, drain and remove whole radiator as autobox pipes will need disconnecting and that was a pain the last time.

Anyone done this any other ways?

I done my condenser on my v6 recently and I couldn't see anyway to get it out without removing the radiator, as it's such a tight fit that you couldn't shimmy it past the radiator without doing significant damage. X20 might be different.
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: VXL V6 on 28 May 2021, 08:14:43
Removing the radiator is the only way i'm aware of
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 28 May 2021, 08:49:59
Remove the top cover. Unbolt the two 8mm bolts that hold the condenser in place and lift it off the brackets. Also unplug and unbolt the main fan. Then lift the radiator and move it towards the engine. No need to disconnect it.

Obviously draining and removing it is easier, but it can be done radiator in place.

Four pots easier as no multi ram in the way :y also, depending on the year, the radiator is smaller.

The front fans are fitted from behind, so that option is out.
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 29 May 2021, 08:40:17
Well, condenser looks like it has a split in it at the bottom with age (corroded around the area) so recovered anything left out of it (only expecting to pull any oil, not gas) and got 3ml of oil and over 100g of gas 😳

Additionally, the HP valve I had cleaned up and was not leaking when I went to it this morning is now looking like it is leaking after disconnecting hoses so have ordered a valve from VX, apparently should be factory order, just over £5+vat. Will find out next week.

New condenser should be with me by end of next week as well so will see what happens at that point…….
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: STEMO on 29 May 2021, 11:17:01
Well, condenser looks like it has a split in it at the bottom with age (corroded around the area) so recovered anything left out of it (only expecting to pull any oil, not gas) and got 3ml of oil and over 100g of gas 😳

Additionally, the HP valve I had cleaned up and was not leaking when I went to it this morning is now looking like it is leaking after disconnecting hoses so have ordered a valve from VX, apparently should be factory order, just over £5+vat. Will find out next week.

New condenser should be with me by end of next week as well so will see what happens at that point…….
Ooooooo........gonna be a million degrees centigrade on Monday  ;D
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 29 May 2021, 11:28:36
Well, condenser looks like it has a split in it at the bottom with age (corroded around the area) so recovered anything left out of it (only expecting to pull any oil, not gas) and got 3ml of oil and over 100g of gas 😳

Additionally, the HP valve I had cleaned up and was not leaking when I went to it this morning is now looking like it is leaking after disconnecting hoses so have ordered a valve from VX, apparently should be factory order, just over £5+vat. Will find out next week.

New condenser should be with me by end of next week as well so will see what happens at that point…….
Ooooooo........gonna be a million degrees centigrade on Monday  ;D

Tell me about it 😢😢

Good news is that I have my 4x4 Sierra Saph which still has its original R12 aircon working 😄
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: polilara on 29 May 2021, 12:40:35
https://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=145521.0

What's the pain to remove autobox pipes? Do you have separate or built in?
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 29 May 2021, 12:54:14
That age should be built into the radiator. No need to disconnect it.

If it's manual even better :D
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 29 May 2021, 18:57:15
Cooler pipes are built into the radiator but are a pain to deal with if you have to disconnect them.

Condenser was ordered yesterday morning, arrived today around 12.30pm, fitted by 5pm.

Radiator stayed connected but battery had to be removed to allow it to go back far enough, along with the air box assembly on the other side.

You need 2 people ideally, 1 can take the old unit out but you need 2 people to hold the radiator and adjust the new unit into place as the connection pipes make the unit quite wide. Just got to take it to work next week, nitrogen test it and if all good, re-gas once the new HP valve is here.

Old unit had gone in style and pushed the lower fins out of the way with the exiting pressure and covered the whole undertray in PAG oil and dye 🤬
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 29 May 2021, 19:11:38
Job jobbed.  :y

I have done it both ways, and always found the 3.2 rad to be a tight fit, almost an interference fit in fact :-\

That said, mine had had three front impacts, one which tweaked the bumper support and all three bent the bonnet, so it wouldn't surprise me if the chassis rails were 5 mm closer together than they should have been...
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 02 June 2021, 15:08:30
For anyone interested, HP valve 13277003 is still readily available at a trade price of £5.21+vat
Title: Re: If not one thing it is another…..
Post by: iansoutham on 03 June 2021, 18:32:40
And it is done……….. for now

All fitted up but had to replace a seal as I must have pinched it fitting it all together as Nitrogen test showed a big leak. Swapped out from one from Parts Dept (helps being the Manager) and all holding vacuum, refilled and cold again.

Yay….

Amusing that most of the techs did not know I actually do this sort of thing myself as they leave bigger aircon jobs to the older guys 😳